Growing up on a small farm where we raised vegetables and animals to supplement the food stores, we all had daily chores. We could be in a snowstorm or planning a special event, but tending to the animals and the gardens came first. Then we could play. I do believe this structure of ‘working to eat’ is where we all got the ethics we exhibit today with our jobs.
Part of our fun would sometimes be the task, such as riding the fence line. Now done with ATV’s, we had horses then. Horses require special care to prevent them from harm. Brushing and feeding them brought great fun but cleaning out the stalls? Not so much.
They had to have fresh hay and soft dirt on which to stand or their feet could become damaged. Everything had a purpose, and if we could no longer ride them, they would have to go. None of us wanted to lose the horses, so we took turns mucking out those stalls.
Our Mom and Grandmothers would put this stuff we cleaned out of the barns in their gardens, always abundant with sweet smelling blooms. How they worked those flower beds as regularly as they tended the vegetable gardens! They grew a variety of plants that bloomed throughout the year. The fertilizer no longer seemed so bad when the fragrance of the flowers perfumed the air. Without fertilizer produced by the horses, roses are weak in fragrance and pale in color…the women in our family had the most verdant rose gardens.
Daddy and our uncle owned broadcasters, or in simple farm folk lingo a manure spreader. They filled it up and hooked it to the tractor. They pulled this monstrosity around the pastures, distributing the organic material. This not only enriched the soil, it aided in protection against erosion. It helped to control weeds as the grass roots penetrated deeper from this soil enhancement. No water pollution creation from this natural substance and the smell? It went away, eventually.
We all have muck in our lives. Some of it stinks more than others, but it is all dirty. We must continue to refresh and refine because we live in a fallen world. We must repeatedly clean out the refuse lest we become too comfortable. It will destroy us if we remain standing in it.
Accepting Jesus as our Savior is the first step to cleaning out the filth in our lives. We realize then what grieves God, and we want it gone. As we keep getting rid of the sin in our lives, God blesses us for we are submitting to His will. As we learn more of salvation, we grow deeper roots in the foundational truths of all God has for us. As we fellowship with believers, we bloom into a beautiful mix of love and forgiveness to share with others.
God uses our muck, the ugliness, and the sins to lead us to witness, especially to those who have no hope. He gives us assurance so we may comfort others. We share our testimonies not because we are good, but because we understand how bad we were before Jesus saved us. We spread the good news of Jesus because it is God’s desire that none should perish. We are loved and forgiven much. With a thankful heart and a joyful spirit, we share this beautiful truth with others. As we mature in our walk, we accept Jesus as our Lord. We willingly give up those things that are not glorifying to Him or the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
We are imperfect. We make mistakes. We find we must muck out those stalls again, and again. The fragrance of Christ envelops us as we transform from the mire to the Christian God wants us to be. The perfume of His righteousness will fully develop once we are in heaven. In the meantime, we ask forgiveness for our sins every day because we have direct access to God through Jesus. We focus on the future; we cling to the hope and assurance of where we will spend eternity. Our life here is short and fleeting as we long for our forever home.
I ask you to take a moment to inventory your life. Do you need hope to fill your heart? Do you need to forgive or be forgiven? Do you want to have assurance of your eternity? Do you feel like something is missing in your life? Is joy something for which you long but it always seems just outside of your grasp?
Salvation is free and simple to anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior. Embrace His love and forgiveness. Pray to Him, believe in Him.
Repentance of sin will come once you have welcomed Jesus into your heart. He will show you and guide you. Then, He will help you muck out those stalls!
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